Phototypographic character slug



June 23, 1925.

R. J. SMOTHERS PHOTOTYPOGRAPHIC CHARACTER SLUG Filed June 4. 1924 BYATTORNEY.

Patented June 23, 192 5. I

UNITED, srA'ras PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT JARVIS SMOTHERS, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFT0 JAMES "1. ROBINSON, 0F HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS. i

PHOTOTYPOGRAPHIC CHARACTER. SL UG.

Application filed June 4, 1924. Serial No. 717,830.

To all whom it may concern: L

Be it known that I, ROBERT JARVIS SMOTHERS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPhototypographic Character Slugs, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a 'phototypographic character, slug for use inconnection with typographic machines of that type for producing aphotographic print of a line or successively positioned lines ofletters, digits, words, designs, figures, etc., on a sensitized surface,and has for its object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forthaslug, not only provided with the object to be photographed, such as aletter, digit, design, figure, etc., but further having means for thepassage of light rays therethrough, in a manner with respect to theobject carried thereby to provide for the photographing of such objecton a sensitized surface opposing the slug. n

The body portion of a slug, in accordance with this invention, otherthan the providing of the object thereon to be photographed, and themeans for the passage of the light rays, preferably is identical inconstruction with the body portion of matrices employed in thewell-known linotype machines, and by such arrangement it provides forslugs in accordance with this inv tion, to be aligned and disassembledin the same manner as is now carried out with respect to the matricesemployed in the machines aforesaid.

Further objects of the invention are to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth a phototypographic character slug for the purposereferred to, which is simple in its construction and arrangement,strong, durable, compact, thoroughly efiicient in its use, andcomparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arran ement of parts, ashereinafter more speci cally de-- scribed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodlment of the invention,but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modificationscan be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a front elevation of aseries of aligned slugs, in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of Figurel.

Figures 3 and 4 are side elevations of a slug in accordance with thisinvention, Figure 3 looking towards one side and Figure 4 towards theother side of the slug.

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a carrier provided with apair of objects.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 of a modifiedform of carrier.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 denotes the body portion of theslug, which is constructed of metallic material, and other than ashereinafter stated, is constructed in the same manner as the matricesemployed in the Well-known forms of linotype inachines. As iswell-known, a matrix of the type employed in linotype machines has itsfront edge provided with a pair of notches, suitably spaced from eachother and with the base of each notch countersunk to form the outline ofaletter, but one of the letters is of a different style or type with.respect to the other. To provide for the utilization of this well-knowntype of matrix in a typographic machine, the front edge of the bodyportion of the slug, which is notched, is cut out intermediate its endsto extend slightly beyond each of such notches and to a substantialdepth, or in other words, the body portion 1 in lieu of having its frontedge formed with the said notches, is cut away to provide a transverselyextending groove having a segment-shaped bottom 2 and a pair ofoppositely inclined side walls 3, 4, which extend towards each other, orin other words, the side walls 3, 4, are undercut in a manner so thatthe ends of the bottom 2 will extend beyondthe outer ends of the sidewalls 3, 4. The bottom 2 is of materially greater length than the lengthof the side walls and the groove formed in the front edge of theb'odyportion 1 is disposed centrally with respect to said edge. That edge ofthe body portion 1, which is grooved, is indicated at 5.

Each side face of the body portion 1 is formed with a series ofsemi-oval shaped spaced grooves, preferably three innurnber,

x'rooves on one side face are indi- The rooves 6 and the rear edge 0 ofthe body L and terminate in the groove formed in the front edge 5 of thebody portion 1.

snugly fitting the walls of the groove, in the front edge 5, is acarrier 8, provided with a pair of spaced objects, 9, 10, of differentdesign. The carrier 8 has a flat outer edge, a pair of fiat sides, asegment-shaped inner edge and a pair of bevelled end edges. Theunder-cut side walls 3, 4, of the groove in the end edge 5 overlap theend edges of the carrier 8 and maintain the latter in position in thebody portion 1. lhe carrier 8 is flush with the sides of the bodyportion 1, as well as the front edge 5 thereof. The curved edge of thecarrier 8 extends across the ends of the grooves 6 and 7, which openinto the groove formed in the end edge 5 of the body portion 1. Thegrooves 6 and 7 provide means for directing the light rays to thecarrier 8.

When the slugs are set up in abutting relation in a manner as shown inFigure 2, the grooves 7 of the one slug register with the grooves 6 ofan adjacent slug, thereby providing oval-shaped passages 11, whichconduct the light rays to the carrier 8.

Although the carrier Sis shown as provided with a pair of objects 9, 10,suitably spaced from each other, yet it is obvious that the carrier 8can be provided with but a single object. The object on the carrier mayhe opaque or transparent. In Figure 5, the carrier, which istransparent, is indicated at 8, and the object at 9 and 10.

In Figure 6, the object which is indicated at 14:, is transparent andthe outer end edge 15 of the carrier 16 is opaque. That part of thecarrier 16 other than the outer edge 15 is transparent.

The curved inner edge of the carrier provides for the diifusion of thelight rays when leaving the grooves 6 and 7, or passages 11.

When the slugs'are employed for photographically printing on asensitized surface, the light rays are projected through the grooves 6and 7 or passages 11, from the rear end thereof. The sensitized surfaceopposes the front of the slugs. When the slugs are set up in grouped oraligned arrangement, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, but one series ofaligned objects is photographed, or in other words, the upperor thelower series of aligned objects is photographed depending on what styleof letter, digit, character or figure is desired. Although the drawingsshow the objects in the form of letters, yet it is to be understood thatthe objects can be a digit, word, design or figure or other character.

The slugs are aligned in the same manner as matrices in linotypemachines, and toe body portion of the slugs is set up to provide theshifting of the same to and from operative position and such positionbeing n the slug is arran ed whereby the d thereby can hephotographicaliy printed upon a sensitized surface, therefore, the bodyof each of the slugs has means to enable the body portion to be moved toand from operative position.

It is thought that the many advantages of a slug is accordance with thisinvention, for use in connection with a phototypographic machine can bereadily understood, and although the preferred embodiment of theinvention is as illustrated and described, yet it is to be understoodthat changes in the details of construction can he had which will fallwithin the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A phototypographic character slug comprising a body portion having afront edge, a carrier seated in said front edge and having its outeredge provided with an object to be photographed, and said body portionprovided with means for directing light rays to said carrier to providefor the printing of the object on a sensitized surface opposing theobject.

2. A phototypographic character slug comprising a body portion having afront edge, a carrier seated in said front edge and having its outeredge provided with an object to be photographed, and said body portionprovided with means for directing light rays to said carrier to providefor the printing of the object on a sensitized surface op-. posing theobject, said carrier having its inner edge curved to diffuse the lightrays directed thereto.

3. A phototypographic character slug comprising a body portion having afront edge, a carrier seated in said front edge and having its outeredge rovided with an object to be photogra he and said body portionprovided wit means for directing light rays to said carrier to providefor the printing of the object on a sensitized surface opposing theobject, the said means arranged on each side of said body portion andextending from the rear edge thereof.

at. A phototypographic character slug comprising a body portion providedwith means to permitof't 1c shifting of it to and from operativeposition, a carrier mounted in the front of said body portion andprovided on its outer edge with an object, said object and carrierconstructed to provide for the action of light rays to photographicallyprint the object upon a sensitized surface opposing the front of saidbody port-ion, and said body portion provided with means for directinglight rays to said carrier.

5. A phototypographic character slug lllh comprising a body portionprovided with means to permit of the shifting of it to and fromoperative position, a carrier mounted in the front of said body portionand provided on its outer edge with an object, said object and carrierconstructed to provide for the action of light rays to photographicallyprint the object upon a sensitized surface opposing the front of saidbody portion, and said body portion provided with means for directinglight rays to said carrier, said means for directing light rays to thecarrier arranged on each side of the body portion.

6. A phototypographic character slug comprising a body portion providedwith means to permit of shifting it to and from operative position, atransparent carrier mounted in the front of said body portion andprovided with an opaque object, and said carrier provided with means fordirecting light rays to said carrier to provide for the photographicprinting of the object on a sensitized surface opposing said bodyportion.

7. A phototypographic character slug comprising a means to permit ofshifting it to and from operative position, a transparent carriermounted in the front of said body portion and provided with an opaqueobject, and said carrier provided with means for directing light rays tosaid carrier to provide for the photographic printing of the object on asensitized surface opposing said body portion, said carrier having acurved inner edge to provide for the diffusion of light rays directedthereto by said means.

8. A phototypographic character slug comprising a body portion havingits front edge formed with a transverse groove, the bottom of saidgroove being segment-shaped in contour and the side walls under-cut, acarrier conforming in contour to the shape of said groove, seatedtherein and having its outer edge flush with the front edge of said bodyportion, said carrier further provided on its outer edge with an object,said object and carrier constructed to provide for the action of lightrays to photographically print said object upon a sensitized surfaceopposing the front of said body portion, and said body portion havingits sides pro vided with means extending from the rear edge thereof tosaid transverse groove for directing light rays to said carrier.

9. A phototypographic character slug comprising a body portion providedwith means to permit of the shifting thereof to body portion providedwith and from operative position, a transparent segment-shaped carriermounted in the front of said body portion and having its outer edgeflush with the front edge of the body portion, said carrier providedwith an opaque object, and said body portion having each of its sidefaces grooved, the grooves in said side faces extending from the rearedge of the body portion and terminating at the inner edge of saidcarrier and providing means for directing light rays thereto tophotographically print said object on a sensitized surface opposing thefront edge of said body portion.

10. A phototypographic character slug comprising a body portioncorresponding in contour to the contour of the body of a linotypemachine matrix and further having its side faces provided withtransversely extending grooves and its front with a transverselyextending groove into whichopen the grooves on the side faces of saidbody, a carrier secured within the groove at the front of said body andextending across the inner ends of the grooves on the side faces of thebody, said carrier having its outer edge provided with an object formingmeans, means constructed to provide for the action of light rays thereonconducted through the grooved side faces of said body to provide for thephotographing of said object forming means on a sensitized surface.

11. A phototypographic character slug comprising a body portion, acarrier mounted in the front thereof and provided with an object to bephotographed, said carrier and said object constructed to provide forthe action of light rays on the object to photograph the same on asensitized surface opposing the, front of said body portion, an saidbody portion provided with means for directing light rays towards thecarrier for photographing said object.

12. A phototypographic character slug comprising a body portion in theform of a linotype machine'matrix, a carrier seated in the front of saidbody and provided with an object forming means to be photographed upon asensitized surface, and said body portion provided with means fordirecting light rays to said carrier for the action of light rays tophotograph the object upon a sensitized surface opposing the front ofsad body portion.

In testimony whereof, I a'fiix my signature hereto.

ROBERT JARVIS SMOTHERS.

and said carrier and object forming

